HIGH ROAD AND BY-ROAD

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19765, 21 December 1935, Page 28 (Supplement)

HIGH ROAD AND BY-ROAD

TIRED DRIVERS. DANGER ON THE ROADS. PROPER VENTILATION. An important consideration overlooked by motorists is driving fatigue, says the latest safety first message of the Canterbury Automobile Association. The figures published recently dealing with fatalities in teaffic on the roads of the Dominion showed that the most dangerous time of the day was late in the afternoon, a time when driving fatigue is most prevalent. . .. , The greatest vigilance is essential at all times to ensure immunity from accidents on the roads, and when a driver, at the end of the day, becomes tired there is a tendency for the usual vigilance and the customary prompt reaction to danger to be relaxed. This is particularly true of those drivers who cover long average daily mileages, often at a high average rate of speed. The modern motor-car is the last word in travel comfort, and that comfort, particularly in night driving, is apt to induce a sleepiness which should be guarded against. It is a wise driver who makes certain the ventilation of his car is always right. Properly adjusted ventilation is an antidote for fatigue ' and sleepiness. Motoring safety demands the full activity of all the faculties at all times. That fatigue, tiredness, or sleepiness induced by continual driving, with its call on nervous energy, must be guarded against at all times, but particularly at the end of the day.

- USE OF INDICATORS. Regulations prescribing the form which direction indicators and stop lights on motor vehicles must take have been issued by the Minister of Transport in England. They are entitled “Motor Vehicles (Direction Indicator and Stop Light) Regulations, 1935,” and they are in the main based on the report of the Departmental Committee on traffic signs. The object of the regulations is to secure that all direction indicators and stop lights fitted to new motor vehicles after January 1, 1936, shall be similar as regards type and position on the vehicle. It should be noted that the regulations will not affect existing vehicles, nor will they make the fitting of direction indicators or stop lights compulsory. The regulations in effect require that direction indicators fitted to motor vehicles registered on or after January 1, 1936, shall be of the semaphore arm type in common use. They provide that the indicators shall not be higher than 6ft. 6in. from the ground, or more than four feet behind the base of the windscreen. In the case of pillarless saloons, however, where it would be difficult to fix a direotion indicator in accordance with these provisions, the regulations provide that the distance of four feet behind the windscreen may be exceeded provided that the indicator is not behind the widest part of the body. In the case of vehicles not fitted with electric lighting, _ indicators, where used, are to be in the form of a hand, coloured white. Illuminated indicators must be amber in colour, and all indicators are required to be visible from both the front and the rear of the vehicle. They must also be in such a position that the driver in his driving seat may be readily aware that they are operating correctly. Every indicator is required to be so fitted that when not in operation it will not be likely to mislead other drivers. Oscillating indicators and “winking” lights in indicators or stop lights are prohibited. Additional indicators at the back of the vehicle may be used in conjunction with front indicators, provided they are visible at a reasonable distance from any point in the rear of the vehicle. Stop lights, when fitted, are to be at the back of the

A COLUMN FOR MOTORISTS

vehicle, either in the centre or to the right of it, and when in operation must show a red or amber light. Duplicate stop lights working in the same way may be fitted on the lexfc of the vehicle. travel comfort. Some of us expect too much from our cars; we are prone to think that they should always give us that armchair comfort” upon which the salesman laid great stress when he demonstrated what a fine model we had the nrivilege to buy, and how on all roads it was a delight to drive it, to laugh at ruts and “V” gutters, and never to feel tired at the end of a run. _ He did not lie; but it was not his duty to impress upon the “prospect that the car was in the prime of its youth and that if its future owner allowed it to go hang for months or years he could not expect such smooth travel. It is astonishing that so many motorists are content to say, The springing has become a bit rough and the steering is on the hard side, without bothering to ask why those things should be and how they can be set right. x . , Body rattles, engine tuning;, and speed don’t come into this picture; one can tolerate a groan or a squeak, but not an aching back, tired arms, or a bad jolting. The springs, shock absorbers, and tyres have the heaviest job to do, and they cannot carry on indefinitely without attention. . Every leaf of the spring has its own task, and it must not be restrained by rust which binds it unwillingly to its fellows. Paint the springs with penetrating oil or, better still, prise the leaves apart and grease them, and then see that all bolts and clips are tightened.

ONE MAN ALONE. He may be the most capable and dependable iperchant—-the employer of many men—a respected citizen of his community—but—One Man Alone cannot hope to cope -with the tremendous -problems arising outside his own business, many of which have a profound .influence on his own private affairs. Increasing demands from consumers —higher operating costs, mounting taxes, regulations, decreased profit, margins—all these combine to reduce net income to a bare living wage. The voice of One Man Alone—in this highly complex business worldgods unheeded and unanswered. But that voice united with hundreds of others will command attention. That’s why we have trade associations. 'Seven horses can pull a load that six can’t budge; that’s why your help is needed. —Radiator. IMPORTANCE OF TYRES. While the traffic control authorities do well to direct their. attention to brakes and lights on motor vehicles, they might well address themselves to another equally important item of; equipment, the tyres. Casual observation in Wellington (says “Chassis,” in the Dominion) suggests that a high percentage of motor vehicles, mostly of an early vintage, are shod with smooth-sur-faced tyres from which all trace of tread has long since disappeared. | The part played by smooth tyres in accident and fatality statistics must be fairly considerable. Road surfaces these days are smooth, greasy, without resistance, and x only good tyres, efficient brakes and safe speed can avert trouble, particularly in wet weather. Cars overdriven on smooth tyres on paved roads round corners may easily get beyond safe control. Many forces come into active, if not vicious, play, and the motorist knows what it is to be helpless in the face of danger. It is not unusual to see cars shod j with badly worn tyres being driven; at high speed. Drivers do not seem j to realise the risks they run. j

Give the average motorist two brand-new tyres. He will invariably put them on the rear wheels. _ They are the driving wheels, he will tell you, the ones which get the hard work. He wants speed.It is a wrong principle. Actually, if he considered safety, those new tyres would go on the front wheels to make steering and cornering as safe as they should be. There should be grip, adhesion, with all four tyres, and the front ones are not the least important. One does not presume to know what the traffic or transport authorities can do as far as tyre equipment is concerned, but clearly many motorists are not as careful as they might be. Economy and mileage in relation to tyres weigh with many owner-drivers, but -the question of public safety has to be considered also. SPARKS. During 1934, 67.2 per cent, of all the trucks manufactured in America were in the IJ-2i-ton class. * >it * Two million vehicles were scrapped in the United .States in 1934. * * * Over 615,000 trailers were in operation in the United States in 1934. * * * In the United States of America 26 per cent, of all trucks in use are being used by farmers. * * * The average life of a motor car in America is eight years and a-quarter according to statistics provided by the Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. * * * Smoking near the petrol may be dangerous and wasteful—if your life has no value petrol is worth so much a gallon. * * * Incidentally, reconstruction work is under way with a view to remodelling the curves which have been the scenes of so many fatal accidents in the 24 years of the Indianapolis track’s existence. The bricks composing the track are being relaid to conform with the reconstruction of the four turns, and an entirely new type of retaining wall is being consti-ucted. * * * Considerable interest has been shown in Wanganui in the invention of Mr W. Wilson, a motor engineer, who has perfected an appliance which will enable an automobile engine to run on "oil spray instead of petrol (reports the Wanganui Chronicle). The experimental stages are now over, and demonstrations will be given shortly. It is interesting to note that Mr Wilson has adapted this device for three different makes of cars. In each case the tests have proved satisfactory. No petrol is required and the engine will run on oil alone. Mr Wilson hopes to leave Wanganui shortly on a tour of the North Island, when the invention will undergo an official test. * * * The.motorist should realise that an incorrect idling adjustment of the carburetter tends to waste fuel. Many times when the idling adjustment is so low as to permit the engine to stall when the accelerator is released the driver makes compensation by setting the hand throttle. Usually this compensation is overdone, with the result that the engine idles too fast and consumes an excessive amount of petrol. /, RUBBER MUDGUARDS. Owing to the frequency with which the mudguards of motor vehicles are damaged, particularly in areas of heavy traffic, inventors have- long sought some practical form of flexible mudguard. Rubber manufacturers have also been experimenting with compositions which might be suitable for this purpose. Their attempts appear to have achieved a large measure of success, as the London Passengers’ Transport Board, after experimenting with rubber mudguards on 200 of its motor ’buses, has now decided to equip its entire fleet of 5450 ’buses with rubber guards. Owing to the expense of making moulds for the manufacture of rubber mudguards, it is doubtful if they will be adopted for cars for some time, unless some attempt is made to standardise the shape of mudguards.